Eric and Annie's Vacation
by EricIsHot123
Summary: Annie & Eric get to go on a vacation of a lifetime, in the Bahamas! I've thrown in some sensitive moments, as well as some lemony goodness for all you lemon lovers out there. :D
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, here's the first chapter. This takes place probably around the 4th season, and the five kids I refer to in a minute are Lucy, Simon, Ruthie, and the twins. Matt is off at college while Mary is in New York with Eric's parents since they sent her off after her vandalization of the school gym. I know this actually takes place later in the show, and that it was not just the incident with the gym that made Eric and Annie send her off to live with the Colonel and Ruth, but for the story's sake, let's just stick for now with what I have.

"Hey, honey, what was that surprise you wanted to show me earlier?" Annie Camden asked her husband as they lay together in bed late one Friday night.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Hold on just a sec," Eric says as he jumps out of bed and goes into the small walk-in closet. He comes back with an envelope and hands it to his wife.

"Go ahead, open it. I hope you like it. I wanted to treat you to some type of relaxation, so---"

"Two plane tickets to the Bahamas?? Oh, Eric, I love it!" Annie exclaims as she gets off the bed and jumps into his arms. "One question, though. What about the kids?"

"Don't worry about that. Morgan and Patricia says that the kids can stay with them while we're gone,"

"Are you sure they don't mind? I feel bad for almost just dumping the kids on them."

"I'm sure, sweetheart. They said that it wouldn't be a problem."

"This is great! I can't believe we're going to the Bahamas!" Annie says excitedly as Eric kisses her passionately.

"And guess how long we're going to be there? Two weeks! Two whole weeks to ourselves!" Eric announces, not waiting for her to answer.

"That's great!" She replies, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible, but Eric sees right through it.

"Aren't you happy about it?" He asks, now disappointed.

"It's not that I'm not happy about it, because I am, really. I'm just nervous about the kids, that's all," she answers,

"Oh, honey, they'll be fine. I told Morgan that if there was a problem he could call us and that we would be there as soon as we could. I am bringing my cell phone, but only in the case of an emergency," he says, wrapping his arms around his wife trying to comfort her.

"Are you sure they're going to be fine?" Annie asks, still a little apprehensive about leaving the burden of their five children on Morgan and Patricia's shoulders when they have enough going on with their own kids to worry about.

"Yes, sweetheart, I'm sure. Now, come on, let's get some rest. We have a huge day in store for us tomorrow since we have to pack, drop the kids off at the Hamilton's, and make sure the house is all cleaned up," Eric says as he climbs into bed next to his wife and wraps his arms around her. He kisses her gently on the lips as they both fall into a peaceful sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you to all who have reviewed so far. As long as the feedback keeps coming, I will keep writing. :) Anyways, here's chapter 2! After this chapter (maybe next chapter) I will be focusing on mainly Eric and Annie, very rarely on the kids, just to let you know. I am going to start writing this in 1st person POV instead of 3rd person POV. Also, I'm going to go ahead and jump to the morning that Eric and Annie leave for the airport so I can ge t the story moving along. And I am always open to any suggestions you may have, so just include them in a review or send me a message and if I like your ideas I may use them in the story.

Thanks again,

EricIsHot123

**Annie POV**

I woke up to the sound of the alarm clock going off. Eric had me in his warm embrace before he turned over and, with his hand, felt around for the snooze button. After he turned it off I rolled over so I could face him but his back was still turned to me. I draped my arm over his side.

"Honey, we have to get up. It's almost 6:30am," I said, gently shaking him.

I got an non-comprehendable, mumbled response and rolled my eyes.

"I know you're tired, sweetheart. I am too, but we still have to get up now if we want to finish everything that needs to get done today and still catch our flight," I said.

"Okay, fine, I'm up," Eric replied sleepily, slowly sitting up in the bed.

He looked over at me and leaned in to kiss me. When we broke apart, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap.

"I love you," He said, caressing my cheek.

"I love you too," I replied, my fingers tangled in his hair.

"I can't wait until we get to the Bahamas. We haven't gotten any alone time in a while. I say we have a lot of catching up to do," He whispered in my ear.

"Oh yes," I replied, nodding in agreement.

Eric leaned in and kissed me once more before getting out of bed.

We decided to go ahead and get our showers in before we made breakfast. We both agreed that it probably wasn't a good idea to shower together that morning, so while he went to wake up the kids I took my shower. And once I was out Eric got in.

While I waited for Eric to get finished with his shower, I got all of our bags together and made sure we had everything. I had snuck into the bathroom to get a few more towels, thinking that Eric was still in the shower, but he had just gotten out before I came in. He didn't hear me come in, so I just stood there, watching him as he dried off, mesmerized. He looked so sexy with water droplets all over his body and his hair messed up and wet. I couldn't believe he still had that weakening effect over me. Then again, I could. We've always been pretty hot for each other, and I couldn't think of a time when we weren't. We've been in love with each other ever since we were dating. It made me happy that he was _mine. _It made me happy that he loved _me_, and only _me_.

Somehow the image of Eric with another woman came into my mind, trying to make jealousy rear its ugly head. Trying to push that thought out of my head I walked up behind Eric, wrapped my arms around his body and ran my hands up and down his chest. He knew it was me so he turned around and looked at me.

"Were you spying on me in the shower?" Eric asked, pretending to act offended.

"Actually, no I wasn't. I came in here to get some extra towels for the trip and you had just gotten out," I said.

"Uh-huh. Sure. That's what they all say," He replied, kissing me passionately.

After we broke apart, I grabbed what I needed while Eric got dressed. I went back into the bedroom and stuffed the towels into one of the bags. Eric came out a minute later wearing a pair of jeans and a loose, casual shirt.

"Do you want to go make breakfast or should I? We are really pressed for time, and considering we need to have the kids at the Hamilton's and be off to the airport by ten, someone needs to get in there if you don't want the kids to show up at Morgan and Patricia's starving," Eric said.

I checked my watch. It was already nearing 8am. "Okay, you stay in here and go through the rest of the bags to make sure we have everything, and I will make the kids something quick to eat." I headed downstairs and was greeted with the smell of bacon and eggs. When I reached the kitchen I saw Lucy at the stove while Ruthie was setting the table and Simon was feeding the twins.

"Oh, hey, Mom. Good morning," Lucy said as she turned off the burner and moved her pan of bacon to the counter.

"Good morning. What have we here?" I replied.

"Well, since you and Dad are already busy enough with having to worry about dropping us off and getting to the airport on time we decided to give you guys a break," Simon answered, wiping Sam's chin.

"Oh, you didn't have to do this. I was on my way down to see what you would want to eat, but I see Luce has already taken care of that," I said, smiling at Lucy.

"Nah, it was no problem, Mom. Really, we don't mind helping you and Dad out," Lucy replied, and Simon and Ruthie agreed.

"Okay, well I guess while you set the table I should go get your father," I said, turning around and going back upstairs.

"Hey, honey, breakfast is ready," I said as I entered our bedroom.

"Already? Gee, honey I didn't know you could cook that fast, especially bacon and eggs. I can smell it up here."

"I wasn't the one who made them. When I went downstairs, Lucy was cooking them. And Simon was feeding the twins while Ruthie was getting the table ready."

"Are you sure that that's _our_ kids downstairs?" Eric said jokingly as he zipped up one of his suitcases and stood up.

"Yeah, they're ours. But you know they're only doing this because they know we won't be around for two whole weeks."

"Just because we aren't going to be around doesn't mean no one will be watching them. Morgan said he would call me if he had any problems at all, so they better not think they can do whatever they want, whenever they want."

"I hope so," I said, my arms across my chest, fidgeting nervously.

"Hey. Stop worrying so much, honey. I _promise_ everything will be okay. I know that you can't help but worry about the kids, and I can understand that. I know we've never been away from them that far or for that long before, but we can be on the next flight out if something does come up," Eric said gently as he wrapped his arms around me and reassuringly rubbed my back.

"I know, you've already explained that to me multiple times," I replied back.

"I just want to reassure you. I don't want you to be nervous and worry about it the whole time we're away," Eric said.

"Thanks, I think I needed that."

"No problem, honey. Now, let's eat. I'm starving."

**Eric POV**

"Thanks, Morgan. You don't know how much Annie and I appreciate this."

"No problem, Eric. Patricia and I don't mind helping you guys out once and a while."

"Hey, I have to get going. The kids are about ready to go and while Annie is dropping them off at your house, I have to get our bags situated in the rental car and make sure everything in the house is good to go."

"Okay, and don't worry, one of us will stop by the house occasionally to check up on everything while you're gone. I hope you have a good time in the Bahamas."

"Thanks, I know we will. And thanks again, for everything you and Patricia are doing for us so we can have this time to ourselves. I owe you one."

"Nah, don't worry about it, Eric. Go on and enjoy your time with your wife. The kids will be fine, and yes, before you remind me again, we will call you if anything comes up."

"Okay, okay. I'm going. Have fun with the kids while we're gone."

"We will."

I hung up with Morgan and headed to the front door, where I had put all of our bags to carry out to the rental car. I picked up two of them, one in each hand, opened the door, and headed down the driveway. I set the bags down next to the rear bumper. I unhooked my set of keys from my belt loop and flipped through them until I found the correct one. I opened up the trunk and lifted the two bags into it. I then walked back inside and picked up two more bags, these smaller than the first two. I set them into the trunk as well and then shut the trunk, for it was small and the last two bags still inside would not be able to fit. I got the last two bags, one a small duffel bag, the other an old backpack I probably used in high school or college that we were using to carry small things like brushes, toothbrush/toothpaste, travel packs of tissues, etc. and put them in the back seat. I then went back inside.

I went around on the first floor making sure we didn't forget anything, then went upstairs to do the same. I then came back downstairs and grabbed myself a banana to eat while I waited for Annie to get back from the Hamilton's. While I ate, I grabbed a notepad off my desk in my office and wrote a quick note to Morgan, or whomever would be coming later to check up on the house after we had left. I jotted down where the extra set of house and car keys were hidden, and also where we kept a stash of emergency money just in case anything happened and they needed it.

By that time I heard Annie pull in the driveway. I picked up the notepad and set it on the table in the kitchen as Annie came in through the front door. She met me at the foyer leading from the kitchen.

"Hey, honey. Are the kids getting settled at the Hamilton's?" I asked her, kissing her quickly on the lips.

"Yeah. I asked Patricia if all of this really was okay with them, and she assured me they didn't mind. Did you get everything loaded into the rental car?"

"Yep. Everything is all set. I went throughout the house to make sure we had everything, and we do. I left a note for one of the Hamilton's when they come to check up on the house. I told them where the extra sets of keys to both the house and cars are, and also where our emergency cash is, just in case they need it."

"Hopefully they don't. So, everything is good to go then?" Annie asked.

"Yes. I double-checked everything, so we can head to the airport," I told her, checking my watch, "We have a couple of minutes before we need to get going, so if you need to use the bathroom or get freshened up or anything, feel free."

"Or we can do this," She said, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling my lips to hers.

"Mmm, I like this idea," I mumbled, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her closer.

"I thought you might," She replied, smiling against my lips.

I pulled away a short time later because even though I could kiss Annie all day and never get tired of her, I didn't want us to be late getting to the airport.

"If we leave now, we will still be on time getting to the airport. Trust me, I would love to continue kissing you, but if we don't I would not love missing our plane and then having to wait however many hours to catch the next flight out. Believe me, we will pick this back up later, I promise," I told her as she started to pout a little.

"Oh, alright. But only because I love you. And because I currently have the self control _not _to drag you up to our bed and have my wicked way with you," She replied, giving me a seductive smirk.

"Mrs. Camden, I am appalled! You need to watch your potty mouth! Looks like someone is going to need to teach you a lesson once we get to the island," I said, giving her one of my own seductive smiles.

"Just go. Do you want to be late or not?" She replied, playfully pushing me towards the door.

"Okay, okay. I'm going."

"Am I going to have to drive? Because you don't need to be behind the wheel if you can't control your urges and I can always make you sit in the backseat," She asked once we had locked the front door behind us and walked over to where the rental car was parked in the driveway.

"Me? Control _my_ urges? You have no room to talk. I will drive. Just get your sexy self into the car," I told her, walking over and opening up the passenger side door for her. I then made my way around and got in the driver's side. I started up the car and backed out of the driveway, still in disbelief that we were going on such a vacation of a lifetime.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I know that some of the information in this chapter, mainly when Eric and Annie are at the airport and then board the plane, is not entirely accurate, but I do not know what the correct amount of time would be for a plane flight from LAX to the airport in Nassau in the Bahamas would be, so I'm estimating with that, along with a few other things. They are just minor things to keep the story going, because what I really want you guys paying attention to is what's going on in the story, like main events and stuff, especially in the coming chapters. Trust me, I have some juicy things coming. Twists, lemons, drama, maybe some minor shocking news.

**Eric POV**

We were sitting down at the airport, waiting for our gate number to be called after successfully going through security. I had my arm around Annie as she rested her head on my shoulder. She was curled up next to me with one arm around my waist as I rubbed her back. I knew she was tired; she hadn't gone to sleep until almost 1:15AM the night before, and she woke up this morning at 6:30AM. I don't know why she stayed up so late, but I went downstairs at one point to see if she was alright, and I thought I heard her talking to either my sister Julie or my mother on the phone, so I planned to ask her about it later.

"Flight 603 to Nassau now boarding, 603 to Nassau now boarding," A woman announced on the intercom.

Annie and I stood up, picked up our luggage, and headed towards our gate. We decided to carry my ancient backpack and one of the smaller duffel bags on board to put in the overhead compartment, while we made sure the rest was put in storage underneath the plane. Annie and I walked to our gate number and handed the guy our tickets, made sure he said we were good to go, and finally made our way on the plane. We found an empty row and after I let Annie squeeze by to sit down in the middle seat I put our carry-on luggage in the compartment above. After a few minutes of fighting it, I was finally able to get both bags to fit and sat down next to her.

"Well, we finally made it. Now we just have to wait the 6 hour flight out, then we'll be on the island," I told her, putting my arm around her shoulder. She rested her head on my chest and I rested my head on top of hers.

"I know, I'm so excited. I know I probably don't sound too enthusiastic about it, but really, I am. I'm just tired, that's all," She replied, looking up at me.

"Yeah, about that. Last night around midnight I woke up and realized you hadn't come to bed yet. So I went downstairs looking for you to make sure you were alright when I heard you talking on the phone in the kitchen. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop on your conversation, but I couldn't help but hear you mention something about me and my family? I want to say that you were talking to either my sister or my mom," I gauged her reaction as I said all of this, and I could tell she knew something I didn't.

"Oh, I, um, I was talking to your mom. She, uh...," She replied nervously.

"Is everything okay? Is everything fine with her and my dad?" I asked her worriedly.

"Everything with your mom is fine," She said. _Whew, that's a relief. Wait, she said only Mom is fine. What about Dad? _I thought.

"Okay, well, I'm glad that Mom is fine, but what about my dad? You only said that my mom was fine. Is something wrong with my dad? Is he sick? Did he have a heart attack or something? _Is_ he alright?" I asked, panic rising in my voice. My dad and I have had one heck of a rocky relationship, but through all of our ups and downs I still love him. I know we haven't gotten along that well before, but I still care about him, deeply. I mean, he's my father, and we have that bond, no matter what. Nothing could change that.

Annie put two fingers on my lips, hushing me. She then made me look down at her, her eyes full of concern, sympathy, and love.

"Honey, now is not the time to tell you, nor is here the place. I think we should wait until we get to Nassau for me to tell you," She said, gently and calmly. I however, was not so calm.

"Annie, tell me what you know about my dad! What happened? Please, he's my dad, Annie. I'm now going to drive myself crazy worrying about all the things that you could be possibly just _waiting_ to tell me. I know he and I never got along that great, but he's my father, and I care about him. I love him. Please, tell me, what do you know about my dad that I don't?" I asked, sitting up straight and tense in my seat.

"Eric, honey, please calm down. It...there's nothing wrong with your dad. Your dad is not what your mother called about," She said, reassuringly. There was still a tone of concern and sympathy in her voice.

"But...if it's not about my mom, and it's not about my dad...then...what exactly did my mom call about?" I asked her, relaxed but still a bit worried.

"Eric, please, listen to me. Do not worry about this right now, okay? I promise I will tell you as soon as we get settled on the island. I don't want to tell you here. Please, don't go putting more stress on your heart, okay? Just relax and try to think of something else. It's not worth freaking out over," Annie gently replied.

"So, it's not that serious, then?"

"Er, no. Well, not as serious as problems with your dad's health or anything like that. Don't worry about it, okay?"

"Okay, I'll try not to worry about it too much, but I can't make any promises," I told her, relaxing a little and trying to force the topic out of my head.

She then laid her head back on my shoulder and rubbed her hand slowly up and down my chest, trying to comfort me. After a few moments our flight attendant came on the intercom and told us the plane was about to take off and to make sure we had our seat belts on. I clipped mine on, as Annie did hers.

After that we felt the plane rolling down the runway as it started its ascent through the sky. Annie rested her head on my shoulder again, wrapped her arm around my waist, and closed her eyes. I wrapped both of my arms around her, embracing her, and closed my eyes as well as sleep began to claim both of us.

**Annie POV**

After the plane took off, I closed my eyes as Eric's arms wrapped around my body, making me feel so safe and content. I loved being in his arms. I knew that he would never let anything happen to me as long as he lived and I smiled to myself, happy that he was my husband and not someone else's. I began to think of all the wonderful moments we've shared as I dozed off.

I woke up a couple of hours later, still in Eric's arms, who was still fast asleep. I checked my watch and saw that we still had a few hours to go. I had to go to the bathroom, so I unclipped my seat belt, and carefully tried to unwrap his arms from around me. He stirred and awoke, mumbling something I couldn't comprehend.

"Honey, go back to sleep. I'm just going to the restroom. I'll be back in a couple of minutes," I told him, getting another mumbled response. I smiled and kissed him quickly on the lips before I climbed over him and headed towards the back of the plane to the restroom.

I returned to my seat a few minutes later and clipped my seat belt back on. I still felt exhausted. I wished that I hadn't stayed up so late on the phone the other night, but it was an important phone call. Eric's mother told me some heartbreaking news. When Eric questioned me about it earlier, I didn't exactly lie to him, but I didn't tell him the entire truth, either. The phone call wasn't about his mom alone, nor was it about his dad alone. It was about the two of them.

I know that when I do break the news to Eric, he will be crushed. I desperately want to tell him, because he has the right to know. My only fear is that this will make Eric go out and do something stupid. I'm afraid that he'll do to me what his mother did to his father. As soon as we get unpacked and settled on the island, I'll tell him, despite my fears. I guess that's as good a time as ever.

I leaned back against my seat, trying to just forget about everything for the time being and get some more rest. I rested my head on Eric's shoulder and closed my eyes. After a few minutes I began to relax and finally drifted back to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Eric POV**

I was having a wonderful dream about Annie and I, right about to get to a _very_ good part, and realized that I was back on the plane. I hate when that happens; you always seem to wake up right during the good part of your dream. I yawned and looked over at Annie. Her head was still on my shoulder as she snored softly. Smiling, I put my arm around her and kissed her head. I couldn't wait until we got to the Bahamas.

Not only was I eager to have so much time alone with her, but I was also eager to find out what she knew about my parents. Judging by how hesitant she was earlier when I asked, I knew whatever news she had for me wasn't good. I had so many thoughts running through my head about what it could be; some very possible, others just plain crazy.

I checked my watch and noticed that we only had about twenty minutes left before we were scheduled to land. I wasn't really tired anymore, and I didn't want to go back to sleep because I wanted to be up when we landed. I had to go to the restroom, so I unclipped my seat belt and went to the back of the plane.

When I returned, Annie was awake and stretching.

"Hi," she said sleepily.

"Hi yourself," I replied, putting my arm back around her once I had sat down.

"How much longer do we have before we land?" she asked.

"Just under twenty minutes," I told her.

"Aw. I was hoping we had another hour or so."

"It's okay, honey. You can go back to sleep if you want. I'll be awake when we land."

"Nah, I'm not really that tired anymore. Besides, I wouldn't want you to get lonely while I'm asleep and you have nothing to do but watch me sleep."

"I wouldn't be lonely, not while holding you in my arms, asleep or not. And I enjoy watching you sleep; it never gets old," I said as I gazed into her eyes. I could gaze into her eyes all day long, and I would never get tired of it.

All of a sudden I felt the urge to kiss her. I leaned in, eager to unite her lips with mine but I controlled myself and took it slow. My lips were so close to hers, but we were interrupted when our flight attendant came on the intercom telling us that we would be experiencing some turbulence and that we should have our seat belts on. Annie growled in frustration; I knew she was just as eager to kiss me as I was to kiss her.

"Don't worry, honey. I'm planning on giving you more than your fair share of kisses once we get to Nassau," I chuckled as I clipped my seat belt on, having forgotten to do so when I returned from the restroom. That seemed to make her content for the time being, so I changed the subject.

"So, what do you want to do when we get to the island? You know, after we unpack and get settled," I asked.

"I don't know. Maybe we can go check out the beach if you want," She replied, looking up at me.

"The beach sounds good. But, I'd go anywhere with you, so it doesn't really matter to me."

The next thing I knew, Annie had grabbed my face and forced my lips down to hers. It wasn't really that comfortable with both of us restricted by our seat belts, though. Don't get me wrong, the kiss itself was great, but it would have been nicer if we didn't have the seat belt straps digging into us whenever we would try to wrap our arms around the other.

"Darn seat belts," Annie said after we broke away from each other.

**Annie POV**

My jaw literally dropped once Eric and I exited the Nassau airport and saw what was to be our transportation. Eric, Bless his heart, had arranged for a limousine to carry us to the beach house he rented for us. Standing next to the limo was a medium-height, dark-haired man probably in his twenties or so with a dark tan and slight accent, an obvious native of Nassau, waiting to greet us.

"Welcome to Nassau, Mr. and Mrs. Camden. My name is Matthew. I will be your chauffeur tonight, as well as for the rest of your stay here. May I take your bags?" He greeted us kindly.

"Of course. Thank you," Eric replied, handing Matthew the two suitcases he was holding. After Matthew got all of our luggage situated in the trunk, he walked around to the side of the limo and opened the door for us. We both thanked him and climbed into the extremely comfortable and luxurious back seat.

"Eric, you really didn't have to do this much, honey. Just being here in the Bahamas with you is enough," I told him as Matthew got in the driver seat.

"I know, but you deserve it. I mean, you do so much for us. And when I can't stay home from work to help you with the twins, you go out of your way to take care of them while trying to get the house kept up with. I wanted to go all out and do something extraordinary for you, because you, Annie Camden, are extraordinary. You mean the world to me, and I love you with all of my heart," Eric replied softly.

"Oh, Eric, I love you so much. Thank you, for everything," I cried, wrapping my arms tightly around him.

"Anytime, honey. I'd go to any length to show you how much you mean to me," He replied, kissing me gently on the lips.

The kiss quickly increased in passion, and before long, my body was burning with desire. However, I pulled away to catch my breath before it could go any further.

"Mmm, we are _definitely_ continuing this," I said, snuggling next to my husband.

After about twenty minutes or so we arrived at the guest house. After Matthew opened my door for me, I stood up outside the limo and took in my surroundings. We had pulled up to a beautiful house off the shore of the beach somewhat surrounded by trees. Even though I couldn't see the full beauty of the lot since it was getting considerably dark outside, the small lights lining the sidewalk in front of the house made it look equally breathtaking. Eric then stepped out and stood beside me, taking it all in for himself.

We entered the home after Matthew had opened the front door for us. After Eric flicked on the light, I realized how spacious the house actually was. It had a huge living room with gorgeous leather furniture, a nice 42'' flat screen TV, and an expensive-looking stereo system. The kitchen had gorgeous marble counter tops, and the large downstairs bathroom had the same plus a nice-sized bathtub/shower.

I made my way upstairs to the master bedroom and discovered a king-sized bed (which, by the way, we were definitely going to break in later) with several comfortable-looking pillows, another large flat screen TV (this one was only 36'' compared to the one in the living room), and a complete walk-in closet. The master bathroom was a tad bigger in size compared to the one downstairs, with another shower/bathtub combo and a jacuzzi.

I was in complete shock and awe, totally not expecting to have such a nice house during our visit. I mean, I expected it to be fancy, but not _this _grand! I went back downstairs to tell Eric to check out everything upstairs. I found him in the living room, helping Matthew bring in the last of our luggage.

"Here you are, Mr. and Mrs. Camden. Please enjoy your stay here, and if you need anything, just give me a call. I will let you two get settled in for the night, so I'll be off," Matthew said, handing Eric his business card.

"Thank you, Matthew. I'm sure we will. Take care," Eric replied, taking the card and shaking Matthew's hand.

"My pleasure," Matthew replied as he headed to his limo parked in the driveway.

"So, do you want to unpack and get it out of the way now, or unpack tomorrow and just take tonight to relax?" Eric asked me, wrapping his arms around me in his warm embrace.

"We could go ahead and unpack tonight, if that's okay with you," I replied, wrapping my arms around his waist and burying my face in his chest.

"That's fine with me, sweetheart. Whatever you want to do," He replied, pecking me on the lips before grabbing a few bags and heading upstairs with them. I grabbed the luggage that was left and followed him.

After setting my bags down, I picked up one of the suitcases and set it on the bed, opening it. It was mostly full of clothes, so after a few minutes of sorting through them, I began to hang the majority of them in the walk-in closet, putting the rest in the wooden dresser across the room from the bed. Eric did the same with his suitcase full of clothes.

After about twenty minutes, we had unpacked everything from the other bags. After putting the empty suitcases and other baggage away also in the closet, I plopped down on the bed. Eric quickly joined me.

"Mmm, this bed is so comfy. I feel like I could sleep for days in it," He commented.

"I know," I replied, eyes closed.

"I know that it's getting late, but do you want to check out the beach? We could wait until the morning if you prefer. It was just a suggestion," He asked, turning his head to look at me.

"The beach sounds nice, but I had other plans for tonight," I replied suggestively, sliding closer to him and looking lustfully into his eyes.

"And what exactly did you have in mind, Mrs. Camden?" He teased, his eyes boring into mine.

"I think you know exactly what I have in mind, Reverend," I replied, teasingly playing with the chest hair that peaked out through the few opened buttons at the top of his shirt.

"Mmm," Eric mumbled as he gently grabbed my face in both hands and brought my lips to his. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he shifted his body so that he was on top of me.

"Do you know how long it's been since we've done this?" He mumbled again, continuing to kiss me passionately.

"Far too long, honey," I moaned, slowly starting to unbutton his shirt.

"Annie," He groaned as I slid his shirt down his arms.

He unwrapped his arms from around my body only to sling his shirt to the other side of the room before wrapping them around me once again. A minute later he found the buttons to my blouse and fumbled to unbutton them. I placed my hands over his, guiding them lower and lower until the shirt was completely open. Eric then sat up, pulling me with him. Sensually sliding the garment down my arms with intentional slowness, he caressed my skin, commenting on how soft and silky he thought it was.

Tossing my shirt to join Eric's somewhere on the floor, I moved my hands to his neck as his snaked around to the back of my bra. After fumbling with the clasp on that too, I reached behind me to undo it for him. Sliding that down my arms as well, he continued to kiss me with an increasing amount of desire.

I grabbed the bra and whipped it against Eric's backside, not hard enough to hurt him, but just hard enough to bring him a little bit of pleasure. He gasped in both surprise and pleasure, his lips flying to my neck and kissing almost every inch of my throat.

I let the bra fall to the floor beside the bed and immediately grabbed his shoulders, pulling him down on me so I could feel his bare skin against mine. After unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans, my arms went back around his smooth shoulders and my ankles went to his hips, using my feet to slide his jeans down. He climbed off the bed to kick them off, sliding his boxers down as well before climbing back over me.

He was more than eager to slide off my skirt, leaving me in nothing except for my lace underwear. He then pressed his steely manhood against my covered center, teasing me for a moment before finally sliding my panties down to my ankles. Kicking them off hastily, and almost kicking Eric in the process, my legs immediately flew around his waist, eager to feel him inside of me.

"Someone's impatient," Eric chuckled as his hands freely roamed my body. Massaging my breasts with his hands, he slowly pushed himself into me, fueling both of our desire. I whimpered as he pulled slightly back, only to push back into me harder, desperate to feel that intimate connection Eric and I shared when we made love.

"Eric," I moaned as he set a slow, sensual pace. Usually whenever Eric and I were intimate we took things slowly, and I loved it that way, but tonight I was in the mood for something...wilder, uncontrolled.

"Mmm, harder, honey," I gasped, pressing my heels into his backside, pushing him harder into me with each of his thrusts, "Please, baby. I need to feel you harder. Lose control with me."

Eric grunted in response and began to push harder into me, driving me closer to the release I was desperately seeking. His hands dug into my hips as my hands clawed at his back. His lips hungrily found mine, our kisses audible as we climbed closer towards our release.

Eric's thrusts came harder and faster, and soon I was calling out his name as the waves of pleasure hit me. He came a second later, his manhood shuddering as his seed spilled over and over deep inside of me with hard bursts, prolonging my orgasm. I looked deep into his eyes as he called out my name, my hands tangling in the sweat-soaked hair at the nape of his neck.

His eyes bored into mine as well, and at that moment we both felt so deeply connected with each other – physically and emotionally – that tears began to form in my eyes. He was teary-eyed too, and as his hips slowed I reached up, pulling his handsome face down to mine in a slow, yet passionate kiss. He poured every ounce of love he had for me into the kiss, and I did the same.

Once our bodies had stilled and we had caught our breath, Eric wrapped his arms around me and rolled us over onto our sides so we could look at each other. He went to pull his member out of me, but I stopped him, tangling my legs with his.

"Not yet," I told him, wanting to be connected with him physically for a little while longer. I wrapped my arms around his torso as he pulled me closer to him, one hand playing with strands of my disheveled hair and the other rubbing my back lovingly.

I closed my eyes and rested my head on his chest, feeling completely peaceful in my husband's arms. I soon felt myself begin to fall asleep.

"I love you," I mumbled, nuzzling Eric's chest.

"I love you, too, darling," He replied, tipping my face up to his for once last kiss before pulling the comforter over us and turning off the lamp on the end table beside the bed. I fell asleep instantly, and Eric wasn't far behind.

A/N: Sorry if parts of this chapter seem a little rushed. I will put more detail into the next chapter, which I will start working on soon. Thanks for those that have added this story to their Faves and Story Alert. And if you have half a minute, leave me a quick review. ;) It doesn't have to be lengthy, it can be just as simple as saying what you liked in particular about this chapter, and/or what you think I need to work on in the coming chapters, or anything you would like to see happen in this story.

Thanks,

Brittany :)


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Gah! It has been so long since I last updated this story. After going back through and reading the reviews for it, I gained a newfound passion for updating it. I am truly grateful for each and every one of your reviews and your support for this story. I am glad you have been enjoying it and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. If you have any suggestions or comments just leave me a review.

**Annie POV**

My eyes slowly opened to greet the morning sun peeking through the curtains. I turned my head back over to my husband as he continued to sleep. He looked so content and peaceful. My thoughts drifted to the night before, and I realized our entangled bodies were still connected in the most intimate of ways. I hugged Eric's body closer to mine, surrounding myself in his warmth. His arms instinctively tightened around me, and I could feel his soft breath on my face.

Moments like these were rare nowadays. With raising our children, especially the twins, we hardly ever found time to spend with each other. Most of the time we are too preoccupied with being parents. I am truly grateful that God has blessed us with this time together. It feels so good to be given a break, to temporarily forget all of our routine worries, and to just be husband and wife again.

Lost in my thoughts, I did not notice that Eric was now awake. I looked up to see his ocean-blue eyes gazing down at me, a content smile on his face.

"Good morning," I said, still quite dazed from sleep.

"Good morning yourself. Did you sleep well?" He asked, knowing that I had.

"I must say that I did, probably the best I have slept in a while. What about you?" I asked in return.

"With such a beautiful woman lying next to me, how could I not sleep well?" He smirked. He made me blush with his compliment, just as he always managed to do.

"Oh, you never told me you had that woman at the front desk of the airport in here last night. She must be pretty sneaky if she left before I woke up," I teased, causing Eric to laugh.

"Ah yes, that she is. That is why I am so fond of her. She always surprises me," He replied coyly.

Before I could even think of a reply his hands cupped my face, his eyes boring into mine. He kissed me softly on my lips before wrapping his arms fully around me, hugging me to his chest.

"You know, you might want to be careful. You don't want your lady friend walking in on this. You never know when she may nearby," I replied, playing with the hair on his chest.

"You are right, but you need not to worry. She has taught me a few sly things of my own in our short time together."

"Oh, and what may those things be?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They are things that are to be kept between her and I only."

"If I am good, will you tell me what those things are?" I pouted.

"No," He replied simply. I then stuck my bottom lip out in a child-like pout.

"However, if you are good, I may _show_ you what those things are," He replied with a suggestive twinkle in his eye.

"Did your friend _show_ you these things?"

"Yes. I must say I learned from the best."

"Well then, since you had such an amazing night with your friend, how do you want to spend this day?" I asked, hoping to get off the subject of the other woman.

"That would be up to you, my dear."

"Do you want to go down to the beach?" I asked him.

"If that is what you want to do, then yes." He kissed me one last time before untangling our bodies and pulling himself out of me. I instantly missed the feeling of having him inside of me. Despite the fact that several hours had passed since we made love, feeling him inside of me made me feel closer to him. So when he pulled apart from me, I was overcome with a small sadness; I felt disconnected from him in a sense.

We crawled out of bed and walked over to the closet to find something to wear. Eric found his swimsuit and pulled it on. I went to grab my red one-piece when Eric's hand wrapped around my arm.

"Wear your two-piece," Eric suggested, surprising me. I hadn't even known why I bothered to bring my two-piece. It had been years since I last wore one, and I never felt attractive in one, even when I was younger. However I tossed the one-piece back into the closet and picked up my two-piece instead. If it would make Eric happy, I was willing to wear it. It too was red, and it featured a studded red and gold rhinestone border on both the top and bottom pieces.

I finally managed to get it on after some assistance from Eric with tying the top piece. When Eric's eyes fell upon me I could have sworn I heard a whimper escape his lips.

I grabbed a couple of towels before Eric picked me up into his arms and carried me downstairs. He continued through the back door and set me down in a spot in the sand near the water. He took the two towels I held in my arms and laid them out next to each other in the sand. He sat down on one of the towels and motioned for me to do the same. He then pulled me into his lap, my back against his chest, and wrapped his arms around me.

I cannot think of a single word to express just how much I love being in his arms. For the last twenty-four years Eric has held me in his arms who knows how many times. And each time has never felt any different. His embrace is always warm and makes me feel secure and loved. I always feel a small butterfly-type feeling when I am in his arms, especially when we are alone at a time like this.

"Hmm, we forgot the sunscreen. I'll be right back," Eric murmured, breaking the peaceful silence between us. I missed his presence as soon as he stood up and walked back towards the house.

It was then that I realized just how much I have missed that man. Granted, he never left. But I realized just how long it has been lately since we took time to focus on the small things in our relationship. Yes, we never left the house without kissing each other goodbye, and we always kissed each other goodnight before we went to bed, and we always said good morning to each other when we would wake up in the morning. But it has been a while since we simply stopped what we were doing to hold each other or to spoon on the couch in the middle of the day. And don't even get me started on how long it has been since we had sex prior to last night.

"What has got you so wrapped up in thought, honey?" Eric inquired as he returned with the sunscreen.

"I was just thinking about how occupied we've been with Sam and David. We rarely have any time to ourselves anymore. I can remember when we would always have spare moments for a hug and a kiss, accompanied by discussing how each other's day was going so far, at the least. We even had time for a couple date nights here and there. Now we are lucky if we get to kiss each other goodbye. Those moments seem to have become our last priority ever since the twins came," I explained softly.

"You're not the only one who has noticed that. I guess it is just because we've always expected to handle only one baby at a time. We didn't expect to have twins. Two babies are a lot more work than one. We always had some kind of rhythm when the other kids were babies. It was easy to spare a moment or two for ourselves when one of them was sleeping. But twins are different. We're still trying to find a rhythm with them. They are never usually on the same schedule, so it's harder to find a free moment with both of them," Eric concluded.

"You sound like such an expert on the subject."

"Ha, no. But it's not like it all hasn't crossed my mind before."

"Well, I am glad that I'm not the only one that feels that way."

"Maybe you don't have to feel that way." He murmured quietly.

"I don't?" I asked shyly.

"Come here," He whispered as he pulled me into his lap once again, this time facing him.

He wrapped his arms around me and stroked my back. I closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder. I felt perfectly content at this moment, focusing solely on what I could feel. I wished this moment, this vacation would never end. I knew we would have to go back home at some point; I mean, we have seven children to take care of. But until then I was perfectly content spending each and every moment of our time on the island with my husband and he alone.

After several minutes had passed, Eric finally suggested putting on sunscreen since we had been sitting directly in the sun for a while. I pulled myself off of his lap and sat in front of him on the towel, my back facing him so he could apply sunscreen to it.

Eric opened the bottle and squirted a small amount of the sunblock into his hand. He rubbed it together in his hands to warm it up before spreading it over my back and neck.

I then turned around to face him so he could apply sunscreen to the rest of my body.

He squirted more sunscreen into his hand and repeated the ritual of warming it up.

He first started at my shoulders, and I watched him as he worked his way down my arms. He seemed so focused, like he was a carver or an artist perfecting his craft. His hands were incredibly warm and the way he rubbed them over my skin was incredibly sensual. I become lost in watching – and feeling – his actions. It wasn't long before I felt his hands move to my stomach.

His hands. Oh good heavens, those hands. I felt a passion building in my lower abdomen as his hands worked from his stomach up to my breasts. If only this man knew just what he was doing did to me. Or… maybe he did.

"Eric…" I whispered, barely audible.

He then applied sunscreen to my legs and eventually reached my feet. He may know just where to touch me to drive me wild for him, but he also knows where I am the most ticklish. Sadly.

His fingers danced over the soles of my feet, causing me to laugh almost hysterically. Eric then laughed, obviously amused at the torture he was causing me.

I pulled my feet away from him and quickly stood up, taking a few steps away from him.

"You're forgetting one important thing," Eric stated as his placed his hands on either side of my face and gently stroked my cheeks with his thumbs. I smiled and handed him the bottle of sunscreen. He squirted a small amount into his hand and gently applied it to my face. He then tapped my nose with his finger, leaving a spot of sunscreen clearly on the tip of it for what he called a "finishing touch".

"My turn," I said, taking the bottle of sunscreen from his hand.

"Sit," I demanded, pointing to his spot on the towel.

"Yes, ma'am!" Eric replied, sitting down on the towel once again.

I squirted a large amount of sunscreen into my hands before performing the same ritual Eric did with warming it up. I moved my hands over his broad back, massaging his muscles along the way. I felt him relax under my touch.

He then turned around so I could apply sunscreen to the rest of his body. I decided to start with his legs and work my way up.

"You need to shave," I commented as I worked the sunscreen over his legs and feet. I then moved up to his arms and eventually his chest. I slowly massaged the sunscreen onto his skin, going from his stomach up to his nipples.

I worked the sunscreen over his handsome face last, and my eyes took notice of every feature. From those gorgeous blue orbs to his cute, innocent dimples. My Lord, I love this man.

All Eric did was have his eyes set on me the entire time, watching my every move. He seemed to be enjoying this as much as I was.

When I was finished with the sunscreen, I tossed it onto the other towel as Eric embraced me once more. This time he kissed me immediately with a greater passion.

When our lips separated, we simply just held each other as we had done only a few minutes prior. Eric rubbed my back again, and I gently stroked my fingers through his hair. We were lost in the moment, finding comfort in each other's touch. We were silent, but not unspoken.

We both knew we needed this. This moment, this feeling, each other's touch. Just knowing the other is still there. The past ten months have been rough for both of us. Not only because of the stress of having two more members added to the family, but also Eric's heart attack.

It was something neither of us had really talked about, especially being preoccupied with our kids. But now that we were alone, the memory of Eric's heart attack came rushing back to me as we held each other. I realized I was very blessed to still be holding my husband in my arms, and I was very fortunate to still hear his voice and feel his touch.

I realized just how close I had been to losing the man that I loved the most. I had been able to hold everything together for the past ten months, only because of being around my children and wanting to be strong for their sake. But now that it was just the two of us, alone on an island thousands of miles away from home, I wasn't sure I could hold it together any longer.

I'm sure it was pointless to cry, or even come close to crying, over what had happened, because Eric _had_ survived. He _is_ alive. But all I could think about was watching him collapse to the ground in pain, and holding his cold hand in the ambulance. His hand was _so_ cold. His hands are never cold. All I could think about was helplessly watching him on the hospital bed, paler than I had ever seen him before. Seeing his body lay nearly motionless on the hospital bed, hearing nothing but the darn heart rate monitor. That thing was my greatest fear. Everything about it, from the normal beat tone, to the normal silent pauses in between made my heart jump, fearing that it was about to project the one, continuous tone that no one wants hear.

The worst part was what I had said to Eric before he left to go back to work after his lunch break that day. We were both stressed, both tired. And I was irritable.

All Eric had done was try to hug me. During his lunch break he had asked me to do a couple of chores for him, such as iron his suit for a meeting the following day with Lou and other deacons from the church, and to get all the notes on his desk together. I had been upset the whole day, and I felt like he was dumping even more burdens onto my shoulders at this point, so I told him to do his own work and left it at that. I was annoyed with him because of it, and so when he tried to hug me, I snapped. I had shoved him away from me and basically called him an incoherent, selfish pain in my neck, and told him to just go. I am constantly reminded of this memory, and the look on Eric's face after I said those things breaks my heart every time. All he had done was try to hug me, to silently apologize for asking me to do something that would stress me out even more than I already had been. But I had to be a jerk, and I know my words stung him. I figured I would apologize when he got home later that evening, when we were getting ready for bed, when all the kids had finally fallen asleep. Maybe we would have some alone time then.

Eric did return home. But when he was helping his father and brother-in-law grill dinner, he had his heart attack. I was so terrified when it happened. I absolutely hated myself for being so mean to him, and I was so scared to potentially lose him. I was terrified that I would never get the chance to tell him just how sorry I was, and how much he means to me and how much I love him.

I never fully forgave myself for what I had said. I know Eric knows that I never meant a word of it. But I never apologized for it. I had been so close to losing him then. And if I had lost him…

These are the thoughts and emotions I have been bottling up for the past ten months. I wanted to wait for a special moment to confide in Eric how I felt, but until now we never really had a special moment for me to tell him anything like this. At the same time I was terrified to wait. All I could think about was coming close to losing him again…

I could not stop the tears from flowing from my eyes this time. No, I could not hide my true feelings from Eric. I never could bring myself to do such a thing. I love and respect him too much to hide that from him.

Eric could sense I was about to cry long before the first tear fell. He squeezed me tighter in his embrace and stroked my hair as an attempt to comfort me. All I could do was hold him as tightly as I possibly could. The more I thought about his heart attack the greater fear I had of losing him.

"Shh, it's okay, sweetie," Eric whispered as he rocked me back and forth in his arms.

"No, it isn't," I sobbed in response, tears freely flowing down both of my cheeks.

"Yes, it is. I'm here now, aren't I? I wasn't meant to die that day. If I had been, then I wouldn't be here right now."

"You don't understand."

"Then help me to understand," Eric whispered, holding my face in his hands and wiping away the tears with his thumbs.

"I've held all of this in for the past ten months, so our kids would stay positive and move on, and not think about the "what if"s. But all I can think about are the "what if"s.

"Eric, I completely despise myself for everything I said to you that day. I never meant a word of it. I planned to apologize to you later that day, but then you had your heart attack, and, all I could think about was losing you. I didn't want to lose you, and I didn't want your last thought of me to be that I hated you. I'm just so sorry, Eric," I sobbed, completely blinded by all the tears that were flowing from my eyes.

"Annie, I know you could never hate me. I know you didn't mean what you said. I know you love me too much to ever mean a thing like that," Eric replied gently, still stroking my cheeks.

"But what if I never got the chance to tell you how I felt? What if you hadn't –"Eric placed his finger on my lips to hush me.

"Annie, we're not playing that game. If the world operated on "what if"s, then everything would be a complete mess. If "what if"s were real, then they would not be "what if"s. I'm here. I'm alive. God chose to keep me alive that day. Annie, I know you only said those things without thinking clearly. You're stressed out. We both are. That's why we are here, on this island today. We need a break from everything. God has a plan for everything, and he never planned for me to die then. He has blessed us with this vacation for a reason, just to forget all of the stressful things and to rebuild our relationship," Eric explained, looking deeply into my eyes.

"I know, I know. It's just I can't believe I let myself come so close to losing you without telling you how I felt."

"Shh. It's okay. I know you're sorry. I know you didn't mean it. Annie, never for one second did I think that you hated me," Eric replied solemnly.

"I just love you so much," I whispered.

Eric then kissed me hard on the lips. It was full of raw passion, bringing new tears to my eyes. His hands then covered mine, holding them against the ground as he shifted his body so that he was hovering over me. He deepened the kiss, making love to my mouth. My hands tangled in his hair, pulling his mouth even closer to mine.

Eric pulled away after a couple minutes, eliciting a whimper from me.

"And that, Annie Camden, is how much I love you," He whispered in response.

"I'm sorry I held on to this for so long. It's just…I know my words stung you at the time. And if I never knew whether you truly forgave me or not…I would never have been able to forgive myself."

"Well, I forgive you. So you can forgive yourself. You don't have to worry about that anymore. I know you love me and I love you just as much, if not more. I know you didn't mean a word of it. We're not perfect. But we can always overcome it. We've survived seven children. Well, so far at least. We've survived my heart attack, Mary's accident, when I got shot in my church office, when you and Matt got robbed at gunpoint. We're always going to be faced with hard times at some point, Annie. And we're sometimes going to say things we don't mean."

"I know. And I didn't mean to turn our vacation into a sob story. It's just…I had to get everything off of my chest. I had to know that you really did know that I didn't mean what I said," I replied softly.

"I understand. Really, I do. That's why we are here. To talk about these things, and to take advantage of the time that we do have together," He said, hugging me tightly.

"I'm so glad you're okay," I whispered, hugging him back, only more tightly.

"I am too. How about we celebrate my okayness with a swim?" He suggested.

"A swim sounds nice," I smiled.

Eric then helped me up and chased me into the water.

**A/N: This chapter is so much longer compared to the other ones in this story. xD I apologize for those of you who are used to the short and simple chapters. When I started this chapter I didn't intend to add as much "fluff" as I did. When I read back over this chapter I felt like that part kind of strayed away from the rest of the story, but I decided to throw in a sensitive moment, so that this vacation wouldn't be only rainbows and butterflies. And since Annie has already confided in Eric about something on her heart, I will probably use this as an opportunity to bring the whole thing with the Colonel into focus. Then, after all the touchy stuff is taken care of, things will go back to kind of how they started out at the beginning of this chapter.**

These are only my thoughts on the story so far, and when I go to write the next chapter things may change a little. I hope you will take time to review this chapter, and if you have any suggestions for me to consider then feel free to include them in your reviews. 


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